CES 2010

Sony's latest AV Receiver as well as some new Sony televisions will be Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) compliant, enabling easy access to digital photos, music and video that is stored on a PC or other DLNA servers. In fact, if there is any key theme running through this year's CES, it would be NETWORKING.

IOGEAR’s Wireless USB Audio / Video Kit creates a wire-free solution for streaming audio and video content to an in-room TV up to 30 feet away. The product consists of three adapters: audio for speaker connectivity, VGA for a TV or monitor and Wireless USB for the hosting PC. It provides HD streaming at resolutions up to 720p and supports stereo sound. It is compatible with
Windows XP 32-bit (Service Pack 2) or Vista (32-/64-bit) operating systems and will be available in March 2009 at an MSRP of $349.95.

I'm sure it's happened to you. You're at a party and you want to show everyone the latest viral video on YouTube and everyone is huddling around your iPhone but still not everyone can see it at once so you have to show it like four times. Not anymore, 3M's MPro 100 pocket projector saves the day. While it comes with composite and VGA inputs, you can get adapters to use it with various devices. The size maxes out at about 50-inches but that's pretty good for portable, plus it only sells for a mere $359.

You might be wondering why I am even talking about a hard drive here on Ultimate AV. However, Click Free is not just any portable hard drive and it can really come in handy for those of us that are starting a serious digital media collection. Click Free drives have embedded software that will automatically transfer data from your computer to the drive. As we collect more and more digital media, we need to find more efficient ways to transfer and manage our files.

Do you remember the Motorola "Works in a Drawer" TV sets from the 1960s that promoted ease of servicing? NAD Electronics has brought it back with a slightly different twist. NAD is showing its new M15 HD AV Surround Sound processor and three AV receivers featuring Modular Design Construction (MDC) technology that provides a future-proof upgrade path. Let's face it, there are few things more frustrating than buying a new AV component that becomes obsolete or outdated in less than a year. The M15 chassis houses six removable modules that can be swapped with upgraded modules as new audio and video features become available. The six modules will include digital video, digital audio, HD analog video, SD analog video, analog inputs and analog outputs. The M15 has all currently available modules already installed. Additional features include 4 HDMI ins/ 1 out, and a Sigma Designs VXP video processor and Audyssey MultEQ Pro, Dynamic EQ & Volume. The M15 will be available in Feburary with a suggested retail price of $3999. The three AV receivers in the MDC series are the T785 (200 x 7, $3999) the T775 (160 x 7, $2999) and the T765 (120 x 7, $2499).

Anthem Electronics demonstrated its upgraded version of the Statement D2 pre-amp/processor/tuner. The upgraded D2 includes 8 HDMI v1.3c inputs with 2 outputs, a new Sigma Designs video scaler and new audio decoders for DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD.

Joining the nearly ubiquitous trend toward thinner flat panels is LG's 55LHX LCD TV, which is just under 1 inch thick with a screen size of 55 inches. It features 240Hz operation and wireless HD capability operating in the 60GHz range and offering a data rate of 3Gbps. Thin is definitely in!